Early Piscivory In Postlarvae Of The White Bass

Gut content analysis of postlarval white bass (Morone chrysops) collected from the Ohio River near Louisville, Kentucky, revealed that prolarval carp (Cyprinus carpio) were the major food item for postlarvae of 7-12 mm standard length (SL), although no larval fish were found in the stomachs of postlarvae 12-13 mm SL. The frequency of occurrence of zooplankton (primarily copepods and cladocerans) in the diet increased steadily from 20 to 100% as the post larvae grew from 6.5 to 13.0 mm SL. The ecological implications of such early piscivory are discussed.